Steering mechanism for tractor-engines.



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,1 7 ZL/efof R. U. HNDRICKSON STEERING MECHANISM FRI'HACTUR ENGINES. AAPPLICATION FILED SEPT.20, 15H3 1,235,687.

i `of the steering UNITED sTA'rEsrlrENT olmos.

ROBERT O. HENDRICXSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOIL T0 WALLIS TBACTRCOMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 0F WISCONSIN.

STEERING MECHANISMI FCR TRACTOEENGINES.

Specification of Letters 'Patent Application led September 20, 1918.Serial No. 790,893.

To att u1/wm t may concern.' Be it known that I, Ronn'r O. HnnnmoxsoN,a. citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in ,Steering Mechanism fo;- Tractor-Engines, of which thefollowing. yis a specification.

In engines of this character, by reason` of thenecessary weight thereofand especially head and wheel'itis desirable\to provide means under thecontrol. of the operator for steering by power derived fromdthe motor,but atv the same time it is convenient to be able to steer directlylbyhand power in case vof necessity as when for vis necessary to understandmy anyx reason the motor power steering mechanism is out of commission.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple Vand `convenientapparatus for this purpose, and in the accompanying drawings I havedisclosed a specific form of' steering apparatus embodyin my inventionand in the follow-ing speci cation have fully described the same, but itis to be understoodv that the detailed disclosure is for the purpose ofexemplifieation only,r the scope of the invention eing defined inthefollowing claims in which I havfendeavored to distinguish itv from theprior art so far as known to me without, however, relinquishin orabandoning any portion thereof.

now to the accompanying gare 1 is a side elevation of the forward end ofa tractor as invention which isV shown' applied thereto, arts beingshown-'as broken away to better iselose 4the construction; Fig. 2 is aside elevatlon on' an enlar ed scale f the workingparts of Vthe preerred form of my invention, so much of the frame and associated parts'of the tractor being shown in section as is convenient for disclosingthe mounting thereof; Fig..3 is a plan View of the'parts shown in Fig.2; Fig. 4 a front elevation of the same, the frame of the tractor beingshown in 'section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

, geferringv drawings, 1 so much of Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig. 6 asection ofV a detail to be described below.

`Paternal Aug. 7,1917.

The same character of reference is applied to each part Wherever .itoccurs throughout the sev ral views.

Referring now VIn re,partioularly to Fig. 1 the main i me of the tractorcomprises a pair of si beamen, one of which only is shown in thedrawing, which are bolted at 12 to the sides of a rectangular projection90 of a casting 13 which is circular in general plan, hollow, and hasformed in .the interior thereof s, ball race 14 for a purpose to bepresently described. Upon the framework is .mounted the engine 15, whichmay be of any ordinary or improved type and is but fragmentaril f shownin the drawing, and upon the circu ar castin is mounted a` circularradiator 16 for coo ing the water of the engine circulation, the pipesby which it is connected to the engine being shown at 17 and 1S. Theradiator is formed, as shown, of an annular series of pipes 19 connectedbetween upper and lower headers 20-21 and within said radiator a fan :22(see dotted lines, Fig. 1) revolves on a vertical axis in such adirection as to draw air in between the pipes of the radiator unddischarge it upwardly. For this purpose the fan is mounted upon aspindle 23 mounted in suitable bearings, and provided with a pulley 28for revolving the same; Said pu ley is 'driven by'a belt 29 from apulley 30 mounted upon the end of the crank shaft'l of the engine, saidbelt pussing over an idler 31 intermediate said pulleys for a purposewhich will be obvious from `the drawings., The engine radiator fan anddriving connections form no part of the invention-which is the subject.matter of` the present application, but are described Vonly for a betterunderstanding of the latter. Within the'circuler #casting 13 is mountedthe steering head 32'which is pro y mounted the axle :ll of the frontwheels 3S,

cushioning springs Elf) heinpl provided for the usuel purpose o'llrelieving calmed by irregularities over which the. wheels lnny pass.The' eireulur portion of the steering'heud casting is formed exteriol'lywith n chunnel l() which receives nn Y endless driving ehmn llf whichlutter is secured nt n slliluble point therein Aund also enil'n-'n'ceswithin its loop n .sprocket l2 by which itis driven.

As shown more particularly in Figs :undl

4, the sprocket Al?) is` mounted upon n rerticnl slinft which isjoi'n'inl'led nt its u'p per :ind lowerends respectively in benringsformed in brackets aLl-t5 bolted :it lli-47 to the top nnd bottom edgesrespect irely of the rear-well 91 of tl'ie'rectm'ignlnr extension JO of.the casting before described.

`Upon slnift 4.3 und nenr its upper end is pinned n worin wheel 48'which is engagedby u worm 4'.) keyed or pinned upon n horizontal shaft50`Which is mounted trains# versely of the mitchine in bearings film-52.Intermediate seid beni-ings n puir-ol hevel friction wheels ure splined:1t (see Fig. nponsnid. sli-Lft und rigidly connected together forcommon :xxi-rl movement, the-connecting sleeve 5G .thereof being formedwith' central groove 5T with which n, shifting fork 58 is engaged. Thebeveled friction wheels .53--=34 extend:y within the drum portion of thepulley .50 mentioned above as mounted upon the crank sli-ott' of the enine, and are adapted to engage ellen nutivelgyxe.v4 beveled fiberfriction wheel y5t) which isfsecured tothe end of the motor shaft 3Lconcentricnlly therewith by n bolt 60 tnppedvinto4 n bore -inthe end'ol' seid shaft, 1 otnti-ye'movement between tlnvfrietion wheel sindsnidshnft bei'ng-prevented.

by pins fl-l-extending into snid-shuft und disk respectively ut theiropposite ends. It will now be seen'thnt whenever the fen* gine shaft Tsbeing.;` driven Ithe steeringheud muy be turned in one drectn'nror` theother,

es desired, by forcing the propel' friction" gem' 53 or 54.intocontnctwith the friction geur upon the .engine slnft,' |wwer beingtransmitted from said; gearing. through slinft 50,'. worin -4l),` worinwheel. 48,. 'slmt'tftlq sprocket 42 und sprmeket chain tl'to 'snidsteering.;` heed. 'y u The pnir L'ot friction; genre 53-`5t -i'neinun'unlly shifted. :ixinlly 4'from the hundl wheel 62, .whenilcsred,^to ehilnge the 'di rec- .l

tion in which. power .is applied to'the `steering lnechenifsn from 'thepowershnft, n pnrt' ofA the connections 'fr-onr-y .snidhnnd wheelbeingnflsoadapted, when' it'v is desired to shocks' directly to-'thetransverse shaft 50.- In .or-

sto-er by hund kpower,A to transmit motion V der to cer-ry out thesefunctions the shaft' 4lout* it' iscapeble' of both an axial :1nd arotary movement in its bearings. The axial movement is for the purposeof throwing the shaft at will into engagement with either the transverseshnft or with the mechanism for shiftingthe pair of friction gearsreferred to above.- Neer its `lower end the shaft is'provided `with ubevel gear 64 having n lcollar 65 which is pnnednt 66 to said* y shaftund is arranged Yto engage a similar geur 67 keyed upon the end-of thetransverse sluift 50 when the hund wheel nndlts shaft ure drawnrenrwerdly into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. From the forward'or lower face of the coller G5 of gear wheel (H u. pnir of studs or pins(58*68 projects which studs nre adapted, when' thefhand wheel und its.shaft nre thrust' forwnrdly'and downwardly, 'to engage openings in e.'co1- lnr or flnnggfcv (i9 formed upon a sleeveO surroinuling the' slmftGS f'lwithin thebe'aring: 71 formed in theuc'itsting '13 abovedescribed,The sleeve 70 isv free to turn in said 'beuring but prevented from'longitudinal movement' therein by theffln'nge. 69 end flh coller 72which is' pinned,1ns shownin 2 und 3,- .to the lower en'd'of said-sleeFlange; 69 isexlended nt l'into n lug .which is radinllyislottedzivithto the sleeve upon which4 the geis mounted Vfor'lhe reception offs, "pin74 upon n.fork 7.". The, lutter is'ndjustnble upon si. link 76, .1 nut`or thimble i'x'l'tegml' 'with Suid. fork being threndged upon'lhelinki'tor the vpurpose. of this nlpistmenl'- `und' secred, 'byloeknlx't 'l)3. "lhe "otllerend" of 'the link l whichvl is iliounted incasting 7 9' ure 'interposed springs .S3-' 8451 .which tend jtoixstolfesilidfcilsting when disiilaeed vto its 4central position 'inV which, as.l

will be 'seen' from Fi 3 7 the friction eltch genrs are both out()contact with-the fric# tion genr'ufiin the'engi'ne shn'ift.

From theniove description it' will vbe lseen I' om Wheelers-limawlmi-fund its smindrawn reurwnidly und upwardly the pinion' downwardly.to bring the studs 68 into engagement with the opening formed lin thecollar 69, by rotating the hand wheel said collar and its Sleeve mayalso -be .turned slightly to force at 'will one or the other of thefriction gears', 54, into Contact with the intermediate friction gearupon the engine shaft, motion being transmitted from said 'Harige 69tothe pair of shiftable friction gears by .means of the pin 74, foi-lr 75,link 76, casting 79, and fork 5S. When, however, the pressure upon thehand wheel relieved the springs 8S-84, or Whichever one of them has beencompressed, will restore the steering mechanism to the inter mediate orinoperative position Ordinarily the hand wheel and its shaft are inengagement with the mechanism for controlling the power drive but whenit is desired to steer by hand power and the hand Wheel has been drawnhaci-*Ward for 'this purpose, it may b e maintained in" this position bymeans of the dog S which is ivoted at 86 and formed with a head B7 ich'is adapted to he swung beneath the coliar 88 upon the hand wheel,thehead 87 being out away at 89 and rabbcted at 90 to receive the shaftand collar respectively, seerFigs. 2, 5, and'.-

I claim: y y 1. In a device-of the class described, a

' continuously rotated driving shaft, a driven shaft, a steering head,driving connections from said driven shaft to said head for turning `thelat-ter, clutch mechanism iiiterengagement of the clutch mechanism, a

hand-operated shaft, gearing for effecting .engagenientfof `the lastsaid. shaft andthe driven shaft, means for rendering' said gear-- ingeffective and ineective, and means for connecting the handoperated shaftto the clutch for Shifting the iatter,

2. In a device of the class described, a continuously intating shaft, afriction Wheel upon the shaft,a driven. shaft, a pair of friction Wheelson. the driven shaft adapted -to be alternatively thrown into engagements with the first said friction Wheel, a'stecring head, drivingconnections from the driven shaft to said head for turning tlie latter,means for throwing either-of said pair of friction wheels on the drivenshaft into engageineiit with` the vvheeb upon the drive shaft, ahand-operated. shaft, gearing for vedecting the engagement of thehand-op-v erated shaft and the driven shaft, means for rendering saidlgearing effective and ineifective, and nie-ans for connecting thehand-en erated shaft Ito the pair of friction wheels for Shifting thelatte-r. i

3. In a device of 'the class described, a motor driven drive shafthaving a beveled gear thereon, a transverse driven shaf! a pair of bevelears on said driven shaft and` movable axial y thereon to 4alternativelyengage'the gear on tlie'driv'ing shaft, a steering head, drivingconnections from the lthe drivenv shaft, and connections whereby thepair of gears on the driven shaft may be shifted from the handvoperatedshaft.

4. In a device of the class described, a continuously rotating drivingshaft, a

driven shaft, a steering head and connections between the same and thedriven shaft, .a clutch for effecting engagement-of the' driven shaftwith the drivin shaft, a gear on .the driven shaft, a han -operatedshaft, a gear on the hand-operated shaft engaging the gear on the drivenshaft, means adapted to be engaved by the hand-operated sat for shiftingt ie clutch upon the driven S a t. 4 f

5,. In a device of the elass described, a vdriving shaft,` en shaft, asteering head and connection driving said steering head from the Adrivenshaft, a clutch for driving the driven shaft from the driving shaft,means for shifting the clutch, a rotary and axially shiftahiehandbperated shaft, means for driving the driven shaft .from saidhand-operated shaft, and means ,for shifting the clutch from saidhand-.o

erated shaft, the iatter being movab e axially to effect engagement for`directly driving the driven shaft and shifting the clutch. I

6. ln aV device of the class described, a continuously operating drivingshaft, `a driven shaft, a'steeringhead and connections from the drivenshaft to the steering head, a clutch for effecting engagement betweenthe driving and driven shafts, clutch shifting mechanism, ahand-operated shaft adapted for rotary and longitudinal movement, andmeans thrown into, and out of engagement bythe longitudinal. movement ofthe hand-operated shaft for direetlj; operating the driven shaft fromthe latter and for shifting; the clutch from the hand-operated sha t.

7. In a device of the class described, a motor driven driving ;1iaft,`agear upon the en d thereof, ar driven shaft arranged'transvei'sely ofthe axis of the driving shaft and having a pair of gears adapted tobethrown alternatively into engagement with the geai' upon the drivingshaft, a Worm upon the driven shaft,` a vertical shaft carrying a worinWheel engaging said Worin and a sprocket, a steering head, a sprocketchain.

enibrfieing saidsprocket and Steering head, meaiis for shifting saidpair ofgear longislmft I'rnshift ng tho, puin: o f'genls upon thetndnnlly `ofthe drivn shaft to bring either uf .thvn at' will intocngagmncnt with thu guar upon Um, driving sla'ft., in gear Secured tuibo lx-wml Shaft, :L hnllmpratcd Shaft n- ;onr mounted on the lust saidshaftvand :nlzlplvd in vnguge Hw; guu'lf upojl the driven dryenshaft, urotary murmur alapbad to De mlgnged wlih the handmmted shaft, andconnections between rotary member nml' the clutch shiftinggneclflzuusrn.

1i( )B .ER'J HENDRICKSON. VVjtnesses: l

W. C, WINKEL, B. V. CRANDALL.

